Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Tórshavn (Danish: Thorshavn) is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. The Vikings established their parliament on the Tingenes peninsula in Tórshavn 825, thus Tórshavn was made capital of Faroe Islands and has remained so ever since. 

Early on, Tórshavn became the center of the monopoly trade, thereby being the only legal place for the islanders to sell and buy goods. In 1856, the trade monopoly was abolished and the islands were left open to free trade. The town has grown rapidly ever since the turn of the 20th century into the undisputed administrative, economic and cultural center of the Faroes.

Photo above shows Tinganes, the historic location of the Faroese løgting (parliament), and is a part of Torshavn. The name means “parliament jetty” or “parliament point” in Faroese.

The parliament met here for the first time in the Viking ages when Norwegian colonists placed their Ting (parliament) here in 825. It is one of the oldest parliamentary meeting places in the world, along with Tynwald hill in the Isle of Man and Þingvellir in Iceland. The logting has since moved to the north of the city, but the home-rule government still sits here.

The building on the outermost point on the small peninsula Skansapakkhusið, currently the government’s main building. The small main street on the peninsula is called Gongin and is home to the oldest parts of the city. Many of the houses on Tinganes were built in the 16th and 17th centuries and are still in use today. (Source 1 2)

Los Roques, Venezuela

The Los Roques islands are a federal dependency of Venezuela, consisting of about 350 islands, cays or islets. The archipelago is an atoll located 80 miles (128 km) directly north of the port of La Guaira, and is a 40-minute flight from Caracas. Being almost an untouched coral reef, it attracts many visitors, especially from Europe, some of which come in their own yachts and anchor in the inner, protected shallow waters. However, development and tourism are controlled.

Because of the wide variety of seabirds and rich aquatic life, the Venezuelan government declared Los Roques a National Park in 1972.

It is scarcely populated, having about 1,500 permanent inhabitants; however it receives approximately 70,000 visitors a year, many of them day-visitors who come from Caracas and the mainland. The most important island is El Gran Roque (“the big rock”). It is the only populated island in the group and has an airport suitable for small or STOL aircraft, Los Roques Airport, with freshly repaved RWY 07/25 (1000 x 26 meters). The airport is controlled from the Maiquetía airport on the mainland. Other important islands are Francisqui, Nordisqui, Madrisqui and Crasqui.

Activities include fishing (bonefish, barracuda, tarpon, jack (Carangidae) and Spanish mackerel), birding, snorkling, diving, kite-surfing and there is a sea turtle research center located on El Gran Roque. Accommodations include Pez Raton Lodge, a property primarily used to host fishing guests, and Posada Mediterraneo, a 5-room inn which accommodates non-fishing guests. (Source)

Aracaju, Brazil

Coroa do Meio, is a district of Arajucu, situated in the right bank of the Sergiper river and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of its territory was formed from the landfill in wetlands. It is one of the first cities to be planned in Brazil, was built with the intention of becoming the state capital. Founded in 1855, as the capital of Sergipe.

The coast of Aracaju has many unspoiled beaches, such as the ones in Santa Luzia Island, and urban beaches, such as the Atalaia. These coastal neighborhoods include playgrounds, squares, football, volleyball, and basketball fields, residential buildings, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, banks and hotels.

Unlike the other Brazilian capitals planned and built in the nineteenth century, Aracaju is known throughout the country for its modern looks, some festivals and pre-carnival feast. (Source 1 2)

Algeciras, Spain

The Port of Algeciras is the port and harbour of Algeciras, city in the province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container, cargo and transhipment. It is situated on the Río de la Miel 20 km north of Tarifa, which is the southernmost town of the Iberian peninsula and continental Europe. It has a population in 2009 of 116,209 people.

It is the 7th busiest container ports in continent of Europe and 32nd in the World with a trade volume of 3,324,310 TEU’s in 2008 and 9st busiest ports by cargo in continent of Europe and 57st in the World with a cargo volume of 69,572 thousands of tons in 2008. Also, it is 3rd largest transhipment ports in continent of Europe and 10th in the World in 2004.

In addition to containers, port operations include bunker fuel handling, cruise shipping, Roll-on/roll-off and facilities for a fishing fleet.

In 2006 the Port of Algeciras handled 65 million MT in trade, an increase of 5 million MT over 2005. (Source 1 2)

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen (Xaman Ha’ or Pláaya in Modern Maya) is a city just south of Cancun on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, in the northeast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The city is the seat of the Solidaridad municipality. In the 2005 census, the city had a population of about 100,383 people and it is rapidly growing in population. It is the third largest city in Quintana Roo, after Cancún and Chetumal.

Playa del Carmen is named for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who is the patron saint of Cancún. The first recorded visitors to the beaches of what is now Playa del Carmen came during the Early Classic Period (a.d. 300-600) of the Mayan civilization. Then called Xaman-Ha, or “waters of the north,” Playa del Carmen was a rest stop of sorts for travelers making their way from the great cities of the Mayan world to the island of Cozumel.

The coast and lowlands of the peninsula were still heavily populated with the descendents of the fallen civilization when the Spaniards arrived. Tulum, less than an hour south of Playa, was the last Mayan outpost and there are plenty of small ruins in Playa del Carmen. The Spanish focused their attention around the area of Mérida, where conditions were better for growing henequén (sisal), a fibre used to make rope. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Caribbean coast was considered a savage place with not much to offer for potential settlers.

Originally a small fishing town, tourism to Playa del Carmen began with the passenger ferry service to Cozumel, an island across the Cozumel Channel and world famous scuba diving destination. While passing through, many people realized that it was a nice place to relax away from the crowds of Cancún but with the same quality beaches and turquoise waters. While its salt water scuba diving cannot compete with Cozumel, for the adventurous, Playa del Carmen’s fresh water cenote diving more than makes up for it.

The Playa del Carmen local community and government have attempted to retain Playa del Carmen’s reputation and charm as a small fishing village and artists’ colony, without it becoming as large and metropolitan as Cancún. To this end, the city passed an ordinance limiting buildings to four stories. (Source)

Osaka, Japan

Shinsaibashi (心斎橋) is a district in the Chūō-ku ward of Osaka, Japan and the city’s main shopping area. It centers around Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered shopping street, that is north of Dōtonbori and parallel and east of Mido-suji street. Associated with Shinsaibashi, and west of Mido-suji street, is Amerika-mura, an American-themed shopping area and center of Osaka’s youth culture. Major stores and boutiques concentrates are found around the area. Shinsaibashi is easily accessed via the subway.

Like many place names in Osaka, the Shinsaibashi shopping district gets its name from one of the many “Machi-bashi” (town bridges) that were built and managed by the local merchants. Shinsaibashi was a much loved, landmark bridge that spanned the Nagahori-gawa canal.

As the popularity of Shinmachi to the north and the Dōtonbori theatre district to the south increased, so did the popularity of the shops lining the streets connected by the bridge, establishing the area as Osaka’s main shopping district. (Source)

Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Het Loo Palace (Dutch: Paleis Het Loo, meaning “The Woods Palace”) is a palace in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The symmetrical Dutch Baroque building was designed by Jacob Roman and Johan van Swieten and was built between 1684 and 1686 for stadtholder-king William III and Mary II of England. The garden was designed by Claude Desgotz.

The palace was a residence of the House of Orange-Nassau from the 17th century until the death of Queen Wilhelmina in 1962. The building was renovated between 1976 and 1982. Since 1984, the palace is a state museum open for the general public, showing interiors with original furniture, objects and paintings of the House of Orange-Nassau.

The “Great Garden” lies privately behind. This Dutch Baroque Garden, when miscalled the “Versailles of Holland” serves to show more differences than similarities, still within the Baroque general formula established by André Le Nôtre: perfect symmetry, axial layout with radiating gravel walks, parterres with fountains, basins and statues. 

In 1960 Queen Wilhelmina declared that when she died the palace would go to the State. It did in 1962, when Wilhelmina died at Het Loo Palace. After a thorough restoration it now houses a national museum and library devoted to the House of Orange-Nassau in Dutch history. Het Loo also now houses the Museum van de Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden (Museum of the Chancery of the Netherlands Orders of Knighthood), and books and other material concerning decorations and medals form a separate section in the library.

The lost gardens of Het Loo were fully restored starting in 1970, in time to celebrate its tricentennial in 1984. Its new brickwork, trelliswork and ornaments are as raw as they must have been in 1684 and will mellow with time. (Source)

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Chungking Mansions, is a building located at 36–44 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building is well known as nearly the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong. Though the building is supposedly residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops, and other services. The unusual atmosphere of the building is sometimes compared to that of Kowloon Walled City.

Chungking Mansions features guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices. It often acts as a large gathering place for some of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly South Asians (Indians, Nepalese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans), Middle Eastern people, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, and many other peoples of the world.

The building was completed in 1961, at which time Chinese residents predominated. Now, after more than four decades of use, there are an estimated 4,000 people living in the Mansions.

CUHK anthropologist Prof. Gordon Mathews estimates that people from at least 120 different nationalities have passed through Chungking Mansions in the past year.

With this lively mix of guest workers, mainlanders, local Chinese, tourists and backpackers, the Chungking neighbourhood is one of the most culturally diverse locations in Hong Kong. Chungking Mansions was elected as the “Best Example of Globalization in Action” by TIME Magazine in its annual feature “The Best of Asia”, although racial tensions are known to boil over occasionally.

Chungking Mansions served as one of the filming locations for Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 movie Chungking Express, and is referenced in the title. (Source)

Salerno, Italy

The Amalfi Coast, or Costiera Amalfitana in Italian, is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy (Province of Salerno), extending from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east.

The main town close to the Amalfi Coast is Salerno, the municipalities belonging to its coast are Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Tramonti, Minori, Ravello, Scala, Atrani, Amalfi, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Praiano and Positano. Very close to the territory of the coast (near Furore and Conca dei Marini) is it situated Agerola, located in the Sorrentine Peninsula and belonging to the Province of Naples.

Renowned for its rugged terrain, scenic beauty, picturesque towns and diversity, the Amalfi Coast was featured in Positano (1953) by American writer John Steinbeck. (Source)

Gold Coast, Australia

Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Colloquially known as ‘Surfers’, the suburb has many high-rise apartment buildings and a wide surf beach. 

Brisbane hotelier Jim Cavill opened Surfers Paradise Hotel in 1925, and the town had its first landmark. Located between the ferry jetty and the white surf beach off the South Coast Road, it became popular and shops and services sprang up around it. In the following years Cavill pushed to have the name Elston changed to the more marketable Surfers’ Paradise and in 1933 the town acquired its present name.

The boom of the 1950s and 1960s was centred on this area and the first of the tall apartment buildings were constructed in the decades that followed. Little remains of the early vegetation or natural features of the area and even the historical association of the beachfront development with the river is tenuous. The early subdivision pattern remains, although later reclamation of the islands in the Nerang River as housing estates, and the bridges to those islands, have created a contrast reflected in subdivision and building form. Some early remnants survived such as Budd’s Beach — a low-scale open area on the river which even in the early history of the area was a centre for boating, fishing and swimming.

Some minor changes have occurred in extending the road along the beachfront since the early subdivision and The Esplanade road is now a focus of activity, with supporting shops and restaurants. The intensity of activity, centred on Cavill, Orchid and Elkhorn Avenues, is reflected in the density of development. (Source)